Four surprising skin sins

There's no hiding our love of a youthful appearance. Australian women collectively spend roughly one billion dollars a year on the latest anti-ageing creams, treatments and surgical procedures.

While we're aware of the effects sun exposure, smoking, bad diet and stress can have on our skin, experts warn that we could be committing several skin sins that could be ageing us without even realising it.

"You could be running your skin through an ageing gauntlet before you've even left the house," says skin care expert and educator at BLC Cosmetics, Linda Pearce.

Skin ages in two ways. The first is the natural ageing process, known as chronological ageing. The second is an accelerated process known as photo-ageing.

"Photo-ageing is the ageing that occurs through exposure to everyday factors," says Pearce. "It can account for a whopping 80 to 99 percent of all visible signs of skin damage."

To keep your skin in check and photo-ageing at bay, we asked Pearce to divulge four common skin sins that could speed up your ageing clock.

Skin sin #1: You're a side sleeper

Nothing comes close to that warm and fuzzy feeling of sliding under the sheets and curling up in a foetal position. Nonetheless, Pearce warns the damage is already done once your cheek hits the pillow.

"In the same way that wrinkles are caused by repetitive expression," she says. "Lying on your side for hours on end will cause those deep, unwanted lines."

This happens due to repetitive pressure weakening the skin's support structure and breaking down the collagen and elastin fibres.

The best way to avoid this is to sleep on your back. For those that may have difficulty retraining their sleeping habits, Pearce advices to create obstruction on the side you tend to curl in to.

"Propping up a pillow against your shoulder works best," she says. "So long as it's sending a message to your brain that your left or right shoulder is a no go zone."

Skin sin #2: You're married to technology

It's time to put down the smart phone and step away from the keyboard.

Our devices generate positive ions, or molecules that produce highly aggressive free-radicals. This is known as electromagnetic pollution.

"Obviously the speed at which electromagnetic pollution can age you is dependent on your lifestyle and career choices," says Pearce. "However, I've noticed 30-plus skin to be a little more receptive to the damage."

The solution?

"Switch off your phones for a bit each day and reconnect with nature. A mini e-tox can do wonders for the skin," says Pearce.

Pearce also suggests using headphones instead of placing devices on your cheeks and switching your smartphones to flight mode when you sleep.

"Every bit helps," she says. "While any improvement will be determined by your other lifestyle choices, mini breaks away from technology will certainly slow down the ageing process."

Skin sin #3: You're a dessert queen

Never one to pass on that triple layer chocolate cake? For your skin's sake, you should be.

The sugar molecules in your system attack the body's vital cells.

"They ambush our fats and proteins and because collagen and elastin are the two most abundant proteins in the body, they're the ones that suffer first," Pearce says.

Free radicals are also generated in the process, resulting in a loss of elasticity and the stiffening of collagen fibres.

The antidote is to cut back on refined sugars and foods that are high in carbohydrate — white rice, white bread and pastries. Nix the coffee, too.

Skin sin #4: You're a make-up maiden

We all know it's a skin sin to leave makeup on before going to bed, but did you know just how much damage you're doing after a night out?

"It'll cost you 14 days on the ageing clock each time," says Pearce.

Makeup essentially becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. All the second-hand smoke, sweat, dirt and dust your dewy hue has soaked up will lead to accelerated oxidation of skin cells.